Coilovers - Looking Back (It was a bad idea)

[Cliotoby]

Seemed like a good idea at the time. Thats probs why I did it.

Once fitted, the handling was great and It looked good. Then I lowered it to its full 70mm limit.

Since then ive had nothing but problems. My front left and rear left shocks are fucked. They both knock so badly. Pulls to one side violently (after being set up twice!! and having track rods done..). Handling is ok still but its a little difficult to get the weight distribution right when cornering hard sometimes.

But the ride quality...........Oh my days. Ive got H&R monotube, so no messing about with damping on these and theyre fairly well damped compared to some cars ive driven with coils. Its just all over the place on bumpy roads, its like being shaken about in a washing machine.

I will NEVER put a car on coilovers again. People were right when they said coilovers were not designed for road use.

f**king regrets.

 

[Ade T]

Not all coilovers are bad but if you lower them to there limit you will always have problems (on the road at least). Your suspension wont have enough room for travel and as a result will be bottoming out (hitting the bumpstops). I would raise as it looks like your problems started as soon as you lowered it, however if your shocks are knackered its new suspension time anyway.

 

[Dan519]

bought the wrong ones, went too far with lowering. Not the fault of "coilovers"

 

[Sir_Dave]

You simply lowered it too much.

Which is exactly why my coilovers will be set at the same height as Sportlines.

 

[Chip-mk1]

It just goes to show that coilovers arent actually idiotproof IMHO

 

[Fletcher]

Flol at this thread..

 

[Cliotoby]

bought the wrong ones, went too far with lowering. Not the fault of "coilovers"

It just goes to show that coilovers arent actually idiotproof IMHO

I hate to admit it but youre both right.

Wish id of looked into it first. Never liked the arch gap with my car, even at the "half way down" setting which is why I decked it. Proper Mong haha.

Live and learn though eh? If I buy a full suspension setup it would be fixed fast road shocks and springs and not more than 35mm lowering.

I remember raising the car briefly to get my gearbox replaced, forgot how well it handled at full height. No point now though as the coils are shagged.

Ive got the following choices now:

Leave as is until selling (then put to standard)
Replace coilovers (£1K + £100 fitting + £120 Setup FOOK that)
Put to Standard (proper boat mode)
Standard Shocks with Sportlines (Unless I can get hold of Pro lines which id prefer).....although Im not sure if this will work very well.........

 

[Cliotoby]

Flol at this thread..

 

[Chip-mk1]

If you were using the car only on very smooth roads where the suspension therefore requires far less travel, even on the lowest setting they probably would have been ok.

The problem with anything adjustable is if the person adjusting it doesnt totally understand what they are doing (or is guided by how they want it to look and so ignores other factors to achieve a stance in this case by the sounds of it) then it gives you the ability to set them up badly just as much as to set them up well.

This fad of having cars sat on the floor is a potentially dangerous one due to the rate at which it can knacker otherwise decent suspension components.

 

[Silent_Scone]

Actually, most coilovers ARE designed for the road...You're way too low, anything you hit on the road is going to be magnified

 

[Cliotoby]

Is a set of 45mm Sportlines too much for standard shocks? i always thought that 30mm on standard shocks were the limit unless you wanted to damage them.

 

[Silent_Scone]

Think it really depends the age / mileage of the shock in my experience. I've always had grief when using lowering springs on standard shocks. Shocks worked it's whole life at a certain height only to be changed...it's not a good thing

 

[Chip-mk1]

Is a set of 45mm Sportlines too much for standard shocks? i always thought that 30mm on standard shocks were the limit unless you wanted to damage them.

The thing to remember is that the standard shocks see probably only 100mm or so of travel at most and only half that or less in 99% of use, if you put a firmer and lower spring on that takes them halfway down that travel to start with, your putting them in a position where they arent operating where they are designed to do, so their ability and their lifespan are going to be compromised.

If you work on the basis of 100mm being full travel as it were, at 30mm lowering they still have 70% of that, at 45mm they only have 55% percent, thats a big difference.

 

[Adam G]

Why Prolines for your choice of new setup?
99% of people say Sportlines are the better choice.
Are you a glutton for punishment lol?

 

[Adam.]

Pussy.

My 200 was f**king epic on coilovers.

Then again I didn't slam it on it's "hole".